Brooklyn Today: Rich PTA, poor PTA: A tale of two cities

December 11, 2019 Brooklyn Today

Brighton Beach. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

Share this:

THE LEDE: Good morning! Brooklyn’s school districts face a massive discrepancy when it comes to parent-raised funding, data from the Education Department reveals. From districts in Carroll Gardens to Brownsville, the money raised by parent-teacher associations over the course of the 2018-2019 school year ranges from $11.5 million to just $73,000.

Think there’s something we should cover? Let us know. Also, if you like what we’re doing, tell a friend, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

THE RUNDOWN

~ INDUSTRY CITY REPS MAKE FINAL PUSH FOR EXPANSION, BUT CRITICS REMAIN SKEPTICAL: Industry City CEO Andrew Kimball made one final push on Monday night to convince Community Board 7 to vote yes on a rezoning application that has divided many in the Sunset Park community.

~ WHICH BROOKLYN PTAS RAISED THE MOST MONEY LAST SCHOOL YEAR?: There is some form of PTA behind every New York City school. The organizations can be traced back to the late 1800s — and since then, they have focused on increasing parental engagement in their children’s schools and raising funds for students and staff.

~ LONG ISLAND MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER IN SHOOTING OF L&B SPUMONI GARDENS OWNER: A 44-year-old man was convicted on Tuesday of second-degree murder and other charges in the death of L&B Spumoni Gardens owner Louis Barbati in Gravesend on June 30, 2016, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

~ SOUTHERN BROOKLYN POL CONDEMNS ‘FALSE’ EMAIL ABOUT HER STANCE ON THE SHSAT: A group of southern Brooklyn parents have said their assemblymember is looking to scrap the Specialized High School Admissions Test. Now, that pol says she’s working to clear the air on her “nuanced” stance.

~ INSTAGRAM RAPPER MOUNTS ‘RADICAL’ CONGRESS CHALLENGE TO 26-YEAR INCUMBENT: A 26-year incumbent congressmember is facing a new challenger with “radical” ideas for change: Paperboy Love Prince, a nonbinary rapper, artist and internet personality.

~ ASK A HISTORIAN: Steven from Brighton Beach asks: “How did Brighton Beach develop into a separate neighborhood?”

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ “These Homes for Mentally Ill Adults Have Been Notoriously Mismanaged. Now, One [in Coney Island] Is a Gruesome Crime Scene.” (ProPublica)

~ Here are the top five pastries in Brooklyn. (Grub Street)

~ “Anti-Semitism Grows in Brooklyn as Its Roots Remain Misunderstood” (National Review)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “At War With The Truth: U.S. officials constantly said they were making progress. They were not, and they knew it, an exclusive Post investigation found.” (WaPo)

~ EAT: Here are New York City’s 17 best pop-up restaurants, including five in Brooklyn. (Eater)

~ LAUGH: Santa has a new question. (The New Yorker)

~ TRAVEL: Planning a vacation? Here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. (Travel + Leisure)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

7:00PM — All About the Fat: Hanukkah at Museum of Food and Drink. Details.

7:00PM — Green New Meal: The Food-Climate Connection at BPL’s Central Library. Details.

7:30PM — The Atlantic Presents: How to Stop a Civil War — Impeachment at a Time of National Fracturing at 92nd Street Y. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1893, the Brooklyn Eagle reported, “Throngs of shoppers are visiting the dry- goods establishment of Bloomingdale Bros., Third avenue and Fifty-ninth street, New York, to take advantage of the big book sale.”

📔 IMPRINT
Salma Hayek, Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne drink from gold goblets on the January cover of InStyle U.S.

👑 ROYAL WATCH
“The 6 Top Royal Family Jewelry Moments of 2019” (PureWow)

🏀 SPORTS
Spencer Dinwiddie addresses the reported friction between Kyrie Irving and the rest of the locker room. (NESN)

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Mos Def, Rita Moreno, Mo’Nique, Susan Seidelman, Donna Mills, Brenda Lee, Jermaine Jackson, Hailee Steinfeld, Ken Wahl, Teri Garr and Jay Bell!